Fort Lauderdale jury awards $8M in malpractice suit

Published Friday, June 10, 2005

FORT LAUDERDALE (AP) -- A jury awarded $8 million to the husband of a woman who died after chemotherapy that wasn't necessary, lawyers said Thursday.

The jury ruled against Coral Springs Medical Center, University Hospital in Tamarac and two doctors. Pending expected appeals, they will each have to pay Charles Pandrea of Coconut Creek a percentage of the award, said Pandrea's Attorney Michael Ryan.

A private autopsy showed Janet Pandrea did not have the cancer she was treated for, Ryan said.

Ryan said Pandrea had a benign tumor in one lung, which could have been operated on. He said she developed side effects from her chemotherapy that ultimately led to her death.

"Mr. Pandrea had no idea why she died ... What he found was that she never had cancer," Ryan said.